A Labour insider on a coalition with NZ First
Labour Party official “Mickey Savage” blogs:
The Green’s increase in support is significant and is having a fundamental effect on Labour. Many of those changing their allegiance are activists and/or well resourced, the sorts of people who you want not only as voters but also as supporters and members.
To get over the line Labour/Greens/Mana will need to further improve their collective support. The only alternative is to countenance a coalition with New Zealand First.
Just imagine – a Labour/Green/Mana/NZ First coalition.
The events of the past few months ought to have put Labour and the Greens completely off such a proposition. New Zealand First has been conclusively shown, if conclusive proof had ever been required, to be a one man band, a personality cult based around the prodigious personality that is Winston Peters. All the other MPs that are there are just there for padding.
They still haven’t been able to elect a Deputy Leader after 15 months in Parliament!
How could a Labour Green Coalition include New Zealand First? The simple answer is that it could not. It would be inherently unstable, its policy goals would be shackled by the strange world view NZF has about issues such as climate change. The desire to create a more tolerant and ethically diverse New Zealand would be an anathema to Peters’ mob.
That is why Labour and/or the Greens need to push on and more support. The alternative is not worth contemplating.
I’ll blog in more detail on this, but I am of the view that if NZ First does hold the balance of power, National should go into opposition and let David Shearer try to run a Labour-Green-Mana-NZ First Government. National would then get over 50% at the next election!